


Draw Me From Your Fantasy

by ProfessorDumbleBrows



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Artist!Makoto, F/M, M/M, Model!Haruka, Musician!Haruka
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-26
Updated: 2014-10-19
Packaged: 2017-12-30 11:36:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1018140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProfessorDumbleBrows/pseuds/ProfessorDumbleBrows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three months into the second year of college and everything seems to be running smooth for Makoto. Haruka, on the other hand, is a struggling art student and has to pick up random jobs on campus in order to get money to pay for the basic necessities to survive. However, both did not know of each others existence until one day when Haruka offers to take up the job of being one of the models for an art class after the previous model left. After seeing Haruka for the first time, Makoto can't seem to let the thought of him escape his mind and soon his thoughts become drawings and drawings become realities. Multiple pairings will be shown throughout the story and the rating is for content later on.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The First Apperance

"Alright students, I want you to be respectful of our new model. It's his first time modeling." The teacher said as she stood in the center of the room, surrounded by seated art students and their blank canvases. The students murmured words of agreement and organized their art supplies as the teacher walked off the modeling stage to retrieve the new model from the backroom.

The old model quit his job. He complained about feeling uncomfortable under the judging stares of the artists and decided that was that. The students were confused, but didn't question him. They all knew better than to question anyone while they were in a state of discomfort. It was better to leave the model alone to get himself comfortable once more.

While the students waited and chatted with one another, Makoto was digging through his messenger bag to try to find his headphones. Usually when he sketched, he would listen to an array of music that matched whatever the theme of his drawing was going to be. Music seemed to put him at ease and helped him focus on his work. As he retrieved his device, he thought about what the new model could possibly look like.

The teacher did indirectly stated the model was male, so gender was out of the question. Would he be light skinned or dark skinned? Would he have long or short hair? Tall, short, thin, well built? The questions of appearances ran through Makoto's head and made him anxious to find out just exactly who this guy was and how he looked like. Already several images of possible appearances slipped into his thoughts and his fingers twitched to sketch them all out. But no, if he were to start he wouldn't be able to sketch out the actual appearance of the model himself.

"Students! Attention students." The teacher said, trying to get the students attention once more. Makoto hung his orange headphones around his neck and looked up from his bag to give his superior his attention. Instead of looking to his teacher, his forest green eyes locked on the taller male standing next to her. His mouth gaped open, and needless to say he was completely captivated by him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Mr. Haruka Nanase." The teacher said with a bright smile as she gestured to him. "As I said, please treat him with respect."

The man named Haruka took a step forward and bowed his head. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." He said before stepping back into place. To all the other students, his voice must have sounded bored and uninterested. But to Makoto, it sounded as smooth as silk and as dark as a starlit sky. Knowing he probably wouldn't hear that voice as often as he would like to, he cherished the sweet sound while he could.

"Makoto..." A voice whispered.

The named male did not hear his name being called. All of his attention was focused on the male model talking with the teacher.

"Makoto!" The voice hissed before the owner of the voice threw his pencil at the brunet's head.

He flinched and turned to the direction of the voice. "Hey, what was that for?" Makoto asked, rubbing his head as he looked to his friend, Nagisa Hazuki.

The blond smirked and said, "Boy, I haven't seen you so distracted by something since the time you found that family of cats and kittens." Nagisa raised an eyebrow and looked to where Makoto was looking earlier. "I know you weren't giving goo-goo eyes to the teacher. So..." He chuckled under his breath and shook his head.

"I...I was just examining the model." Makoto said before quickly adding, "Gaining an upper hand at getting his details right. That's all." He looked to his canvas and organized his pencils, trying to find _anything_ to keep himself from looking at Nagisa's teasing smile.

"Uh-huh. Sure." The younger of the two mumbled as he took out his ballpoint pens from his bag.

For a few seconds more, the students conversed and readied themselves for their unknown assignment. It wasn't long until the teacher stepped onto the stage again and whistled to grab everyone's attention for a third time that day.

"Last week, you all did an excellent job with your assignment. I was very proud to see how you each interpreted the task at hand. This week, your assignment is a little different..." She begun and Makoto could have sworn he saw a smirk cross her lips. "This week, rather than drawing more, you will have to draw less."

The teacher pulled Haruka onto the stage and spun him around. He lost his balance for a second but quickly stepped back into place, his expression still giving hints of disinterest to everything going on around him. "You see how dear Haruka is fully clothed? Sweater, shirt, pants, and shoes. That is only for today. Each day for five days, he will remove an article of clothing or two and you will have to draw him how you see him. Either with your eyes, your mind, or even your heart." She giggled after finishing her sentence. "Just have fun, I trust you all know what your roles as artists are!"

With those final words, the teacher patted Haruka's back and told him to be natural before she stepped off the stage. She clapped twice to signal the students to start and shuffling sounds followed from the students grabbing their art supplies to begin. Haruka sighed and took out his iPod. He put the earbuds in his ear, pressed play, placed the device back into his pocket, and stood casually with closed eyes as he tilted his head down a bit. He was doing exactly what the teacher told him to do: Be natural.

Makoto stared at Haruka again and was once more captivated by him. Even doing something so simple intrigued the brunet. Makoto put on his headphones and stared at Haruka, trying to figure out what kind of genre would work well with him. Seconds later, he decided Alternative Rock would be the best. It was a neutral genre that worked with most moods and atmospheres. He took a hold of his mechanical pencil and pressed it lightly against the page. His eyes darted back and forth between the canvas page and the standing model. Taking a deep breath, he began to sketch, making light strokes to create dark lines and create shades for lack of colors.

Several songs later, Makoto was done with sketching Haruka’s being. It wasn’t an exact replica, but it was definitely impressive for someone still discovering his art style. Makoto sighed and stared at the sketch. Something was missing, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly. Students were already cleaning their stations and packing up their supplies to leave and this made Makoto nervous. He never liked being the last one in the studio and he hasn’t been the last one left in the room ever since the first week of college. But it was irritating him that he was not satisfied with his work and he swore he would stay until he was satisfied.

Makoto’s eyes shifted up to stare at Haruka again and he examined him once more. He looked him up and down to attempt looking at him from a different perspective and looked back down at his page. No, that wasn’t it. It was something else… Something that had to reflect on an unknown theme he was working toward. His focus changed to the model’s facial expression. Makoto saw his lips move in the slightest and looking further down, he noticed the raven-haired male was tapping his foot slightly.

 _‘Whatever he was listening to, he was really getting into it.’_ Makoto thought.

Suddenly, the light bulb went off in his mind and he figured out what he wanted to add to his sketch. He clicked his pencil a few times to bring out more lead and attacked the paper. Strokes and shades blended together to create a background around Haruka. To the right of Haruka in the drawing was a rushing river, and behind Haruka was a forest. Makoto shaded and smudged a few sections to give the illusion of night and darkened a few strokes for emphasis. Around Haruka’s feet, Makoto drew small music notes laying on the ground and connected the notes with a single vine.

After touching up a few spots, he pulled off his headphones to rest on his neck and moved back to take a full look at the drawing. It wasn’t as impressive as he hoped it would have been, but it was definitely one of his best works. A surge of pride shot through him and he smiled at the canvas page. However, his attention was swept away when Haruka spoke up.

“Are you done…?” He asked softly. He remained in his pose but now had his eyes opened and looked at Makoto. Those oceanic eyes shone brightly, even under the shadow of Haruka’s bangs, and this struck Makoto. The tanned male had to mentally slap himself and nodded.

“Yeah, I just finished.” He said with a sheepish smile.

Haruka groaned and broke his pose. He stretched and inhaled deeply. “About time. You’re the only one here now besides your teacher and I.” He said, stepping off the stage. The blue-eyed male walked over to where he placed his messenger bag and picked it up. He felt a little irritated that he stood longer than planned, but he didn’t complain. After all, he was doing this as a part time job of some sort to help earn little extra cash. Being a college student was difficult and he was sure all the other college students in the class understood that very well. Haruka slung his bag over his shoulder and walked over to the teacher. He wished her a farewell and begun to walk to the exit. In his mind, he hesitated to say goodbye to the remaining artist. But his feet already took control and dragged him out of the room. He really just wanted to go home and rest. Perhaps soak in his bathtub for the rest of the evening if he could muster up the energy to do so.

Makoto, on the other hand, looked around and let out a soft whine from the back of his throat. The one thing he didn’t want to happen again and it happened. He sighed deeply and begun to clean up after himself. He placed his tools of trade back into their case and placed it in his bag. He removed the paper from the canvas hold and rolled it up before sliding it into the tube each student received to hold their work. Makoto got up from his chair and stretched with a groan, hearing a few pops in his back and hips. The brunet picked up his bag and slipped it onto his shoulder to rest as he walked away from his station. With a short wave to the teacher, he walked out of the building and walked out onto the campus of his college.

The sun was already almost set and purple with hints of pink colored the sky as the night was welcomed. Makoto was glad he lived on the dorms, it made him feel more at ease whenever he leaves or goes to a class late. He put on his headphones again and blasted his iPod to keep him distracted from any possible sounds of the night on the semi-quiet campus that would surprise him. A few minutes later and he was safe and sound in the boys dormitory. He walked to his dorm and opened the door. In his room, his roommate was sitting on the futon, playing with his 3DS.

“Gee, thanks for waiting for me, Nagisa.” Makoto said as he walked in and closed the door behind himself. He walked over to his side of the bed and dropped his bag and tube on the floor. He flopped forward onto his bed and welcomed the comfort it brought to him.

“You take forever though, Mako. I’m not going to wait for you when you finish almost an hour and a half after me.” Nagisa said, remaining focused on his game.

Makoto groaned and kicked off his shoes. “Whatever. I’m going to bed now.”

“What?! It’s way too early!” Nagisa exclaimed.

“Good night, Nagisa.”

“Hmph… Good night, Makoto.”

Makoto crawled under his covers and closed his eyes. The day was long for him and he just wanted to sleep. As a college student, his sleep pattern varied every day and it became complicated for him. So he decided on sleeping whenever he had the chance.

But behind his closed eyelids, before he was captured in slumber’s tenacious hold for the night, he saw glimpses of Haruka. His seemingly soft hair, flawless skin, slender (but well-built) figure, and of course those alluring blue eyes. Makoto was too tired to open his eyes to disrupt the images, and so he fell asleep to the thought of Haruka.


	2. The Request

Haruka arrived at his dorm room late that evening. He took time to go for a walk around the campus to clear his mind. Questions about where he was going with his life ran through his mind, but he tried not to linger on the thought for too long. The last thing he wanted to do was become depressed over a hazy, undetermined future.

"I'm back." He mumbled as he walked into the room and closed the door behind himself.

"Welcome back." His roommate said before closing his notebook and turning in his seat to face the other. "How was your first day at the studio?"

"This wasn't my first day, I've been to the studio plenty of times before." Haruka responded, walking over to his side of the room. "Remember, I have classes there, Rei."

The male named Rei rolled his eyes. "Very funny. You know I meant your new part-time job."

"Right. _That_." Haruka sighed and dropped his bag by his bed before flopping back on the mattress. "It was alright. Nothing special. One guy took longer than the others to draw me."

"Really?"

"Mhm."

Silence took over the room. Haruka turned to lay on his side and Rei got up to go to his bed. The raven-haired boy sighed softly and brought his knees up to his chest.

"...Still getting over it?" Rei asked as he sat on his own bed and grabbed his laptop from his bedside table.

"Not exactly." Haruka mumbled. "Just getting lonely."

"You should try making some friends. I've read in a few books that being with friends can be very good for both mental and emotional health." He paused for a short moment before adding, "And good for getting past a break up."

Haruka stood silent and Rei frowned a little; both knew it was time to end the conversation. And so, they remained silent for the rest of their night and minded their own business.

**x X x**

"Welcome to day two of your assignment, class!" The teacher announced cheerfully, throwing her arms up in excitement.

The class groaned and mumbled incoherent words. It was early Tuesday morning, and no one really wanted to be there. But it was either not attend and get an absence marked down or just go to the class and get it over with. The students tiredly pulled out their tools of trade and held discussions with their neighbors.

Makoto was half awake as he dumped his mechanical pencils and colored lead case into the holder. His headphones were blasting music into his ears, but exhaustion still washed over him. Next to him, Nagisa was leaning against the canvas, heavily asleep.

The teacher sighed at the sight of her students but did not complain. She stepped off the stage and walked to the back room to retrieve the student model. Haruka was leaning against the wall, tapping his foot to an unknown rhythm. His stare was directed toward the floor and he did not notice his superior walk into the room.

"Mr. Nanase?"

Haruka flinched at hearing the voice so suddenly. He turned his head and looked at her with tired eyes. "Hm...? Yes, Ms. Amakata?"

"Are you ready?"

He nodded and kicked himself away from the wall, following Ms. Amakata out of the room immediately. He walked past her when she stopped walking and stepped onto the stage. The students looked at him with dull looks and he sighed. The raven-haired boy really wanted to go back to sleep, knowing that his classes weren’t until the afternoon that day. But this is what happened to him for wanting to make a little extra cash and stepping in to help his art teacher when she was in need of a model.

It really was a bad habit of his for always stepping in when someone needs help with anything.

Haruka yawned softly, covering his mouth as he did so in consideration for the other students. He quickly pulled off his hoodie and dropped it to the floor before his fingers nimbly unbuttoned the first few buttons of his dress shirt. A few students held their stares on him while the others continued minding their own business. Makoto looked up as he rubbed one of eyes and paused mid-action. He stared at Haruka through the opened eye and blinked. Pulling his hand away from his face and shaking his head, he looked down to the canvas and grabbed one of his pencils.

“You may begin when you are ready, class!” Miho announced.

As always, the students picked up their materials and begun attacking their canvases. Makoto glanced over to Nagisa and poked him. The blond woke with a startle and almost knocked over his stand, causing Makoto to snicker. Nagisa shot a glare at the amused boy and the both of them began to focus on their task of the day.

Makoto glanced up and froze. Haruka was looking directly at him. The brunet blinked with wide eyes but quickly looked down at his canvas. He lifted his hand to press the pencil against the surface and begun his sketch.

This time, Makoto had decided to listen to a playlist of piano and violin music. Instead of drawing Haruka removing clothes, he seemed to have drawn him putting on clothes. The drawing consisted of a portion of a Victorian styled bedroom for a background. Haruka stood in the middle of the room, adjusting the (what was going to be a blue and silver) mask that was added to his appearance. His shirt was untucked and the top buttons were opened, very much like the actual person himself. The casual slacks he was wearing worked well with the drawn waistcoat that was draped along a chair.

Once more, Makoto's work was taking longer than expected and he was the last one left in the room again. When he figured he was done, the olive-haired make signed the bottom and slid off his headphones to hang on his neck. He took the paper off the canvas and began to roll it up when Haruka spoke up.

"Finally done?"

Makoto froze. Despite him being the model and inspiration of his work, he forgot Haruka was still there. A nervous laugh escaped past his lips and he nodded as he resumed rolling the paper. "Uh... Yeah. Sorry."

"It's fine." Haruka responded, buttoning up his shirt again. He swiped his hoodie from the floor and slipped it on again before he stepped off the stage and grabbing his bag that rested on the side. "See you tomorrow." He said before walking away.

"Ah... Yeah. See you!" Makoto called out. He watched Haruka leave as he absentmindedly continued to roll the paper, unaware that it was already rolled up after a few seconds.

Miho came up behind him and said, "Honey, I don't think you can roll that up any more."

The brunet snapped out of his daze and turned to face his teacher. "Sorry! I was, er, distracted."

"It's alright, Mr. Tachibana." She smiled and watched as he slid his work into the tube. "Makoto... May I ask you of a favor?" She asked, clasping her hands in front of herself.

"Hm? Sure. What do you need done?"

"It has to deal with Mr. Nanase." Makoto tensed up, but the teacher continued. “He’s a semi-new student and transferred into the university about three months ago. He adjusted quickly but I, nor the other professors and teachers, have seen him interact with the other students. You’re a sweet boy and I believe you’re both the same age. Can you at least be someone for him to talk to, dearie?”

Makoto gripped the tube firmly. Why him of all people? There were plenty of other students and yet he was the one chosen to interact with the student that was only supposed to be the model for the class. It wasn’t that he had a problem, but he felt like a fool around Haruka. He got nervous and found himself staring for longer than he should. It would be embarrassing if they were having a simple conversation and he lost his train of thought from staring for so long. But nonetheless, Makoto gulped and nodded.

“N-Not a problem. I’ll see what I can do.” He said, taking on the request.

“Thank you, Makoto! Well, I must go to the backroom to find new rolls of paper for the canvases. Have a good day.” She walked away without another word and left Makoto to finish gathering his belongings.

The oliver-haired male sighed deeply as he walked away and grabbed all his pencils to throw into a pocket in his bag. At that point, he didn’t care about where his pencils went. He was more focused on his sweating palms and sudden cluttered mind. This was bound to be an interesting week, he figured. Walking out of the building, Makoto saw from the corner of his eye that Nagisa leaning against the wall by the entrance.

“Finally you’re out! I even saw that model guy walk out before you.” Nagisa exclaimed, kicking himself off the wall. He strode over to Makoto’s side and beginning to walk with him.

“You mean Haruka?”

Nagisa nodded. “Mhm. So, what took you so long in there anyway?”

“I had to pack up and then the teacher stopped me.”

“What is her name anyway…?" Nagisa mumbled but then asked aloud, "What did she want?”

Makoto shrugged to the first question and thought carefully for a second before answering the second question. “She just… She wanted me to talk to Haruka.”

Nagisa’s eyes widened a little and he laughed softly. “Are you serious? Hey, maybe the teacher is trying to play matchmaker now.” He smirked.

Makoto felt his cheeks warm up and he looked to the opposite direction of Nagisa. “Oh shut up, Nagisa.” He mumbled. "Its nothing like that."

Even though the brunet knew his friend was joking, something in him couldn’t help but hope it was somewhat true to a certain extend. He was thinking more of forming a close friendship than being in an actual relationship with him. But… Of course there was something out there that had a different idea for him and he was left as a victim to the unknown course fate was placing him on.


	3. A New Acquaintance? An Old "Friend".

Haruka sighed softly as he listened to his professor drone on about mental disorders. Or was it about economic statuses? Nonetheless, Haruka didn’t care much for the class. He did his work and received high grades; he had nothing to worry about.

He propped his head on one hand as he drummed the fingertips of the other against his desk. His stare was directed down to his notebook and his eyes gazed upon the intricate designs of vines and music notes that decorated the page. Boredom was the reason why every one of Haruka’s pages were decorated in similar ways.

The professor closed his textbook and dismissed the class before walking out of the room. Around Haruka, his fellow classmates got up from their seats and followed the professor’s path out of the classroom. With a deep breath, Haruka closed his notebook and threw carelessly it into his bag along with his pen. He closed the bag and picked it up to sling it over his shoulder. Following that, he picked up his instrument case before finally taking his leave out the room.

Thankfully, that was the last class of the day for the young musician and he was now at liberty to do as he pleased. And taking advantage of that fact, Haruka already had an idea of where he wanted to go and what he wanted to do. he made his way toward a path that was off the main road of the campus and walked until he saw something in the distance. A gazebo, just what he wanted to see.

Feeling a sense of relief, Haruka walked off the path and approached the gazebo. The wood that it was made out of looked old, but he could tell it was well built and sturdy enough to hold his weight. Not that he weighed much to begin with. Making sure to take careful steps, he mounted the platform and walked to the other side where a small bench was. He placed his bag and case down before opening the case to reveal his most prized possession.

The flute was a very special object to him and it had became a key part in his life over the past few years. His grandmother gave the instrument to him before she passed away; Haruka just barely ten years old. Eight years down the line and he kept the flute close to him at all times. Looking over the cool metal, the light scratches that marked it each held a memory. And each memory -- painful or not -- was cherished by the male.

Seeing that everything seemed fine and nothing was out of the ordinary, he hooked his fingers under the flute and pulled it out from the case’s tight hold. He brought the flute up to his lips, positioned his fingers, and took a deep breath before beginning to play. Softly blowing into it, he began to play the instrument and submerged himself in the peace of his own mind as the music created a new world around him.

In the distance, Makoto and Nagisa were on their way back to the boys’ dormitory after a long afternoon of classes. They were walking along the path Haruka walked just moments before. The path served as a shortcut for them, trailing from the main road to the back of the boys’ dormitory.

While walking, Nagisa was babbling on about a date he was about to have and Makoto listened, making a few comments every now and then. However, halfway through their walk on the path, Makoto stopped and furrowed his eyebrows. He heard something other than Nagisa’s talking. Makoto was normally used to hearing other students talking amongst themselves or passing sounds of ringtones or blasted music from earbuds. But this sounded much different than he was used to. It sounded like a melody of some sort with an instrument he couldn’t quite name just yet.

“Nagisa.” He said, calling his friend’s attention -- who had already walked ahead.

The younger male stopped in his tracks and turned on the balls of his feet to look at Makoto. “Hm? What’cha doing back there?” He asked, walking back to the taller male.

“Do you hear that?” Makoto asked, turning his head to where he thought the music was coming from.

Nagisa tilted his head and opened his mouth to ask what Makoto was hearing, but before he had the chance he heard the soft melody play as well. His eyes widened a bit and he perked up, taking a moment to himself before turning around again and running off toward the sound of the music.

“H-Hey!” Makoto called out, chasing after Nagisa.

It was not long before Nagisa and Makoto were trailing off the path and onto a small, meadow-like area. The gazebo was ahead and both of them slowed down their paces to avoid causing a scene. They stopped a few feet away from the gazebo and their eyes were fixed on Haruka.

"Hey Mako... Isn't that the model guy from our art class?" Nagisa whispered.

Makoto didn't realize it at first but after Nagisa mentioned it, he begun to see the similarities. There was no denying that it was the student model from their class. He nodded to answer Nagisa's question but didn't bother to give him an answer with words. Once more, he felt himself become captivated by Haruka.

Nagisa and Makoto didn't speak after their agreement. They watched in silence, each examining different parts of Haruka. His stance, the way his fingers moved, even the way his head was slightly tilted. However, Makoto was also listening to the song Haruka was playing. It was one he had in his iPod for inspiration — "Sleeping Rose" by Toshiro Mitsutomi. It was a beautiful piece and hearing the way Haruka played it, well, brought out said beauty.

The song ended shortly after the silence settled and Haruka inhaled deeply as he removed the instrument from his lips. He was about to turn to put the flute away when he suddenly froze at hearing clapping. He turned his head and saw who was the one clapping.

"That was awesome!" Nagisa chimed as he clapped. Next to him, Makoto made a motion to stop clapping and looked over to see what was Haruka's reaction. His expression was neutral; it didn't give any hint of appreciation nor annoyance, and this caused a sense of relief to wash over Makoto.

"A-Ah... It was beautiful." He commented and that seemed to do the trick for earning a reaction. Haruka simply nodded his head and moved to return his flute back in its case.

Nagisa looked up at Makoto and smirked. "Go. Talk some more to him." He whispered.

"W-What? Why would I—?"

"Oh if you look at the time!" Nagisa exclaimed, looking at his naked wrist. "I have to go get ready for my date! Guess I should go on ahead, right Makoto? Right. See ya!" He grinned, did a short wave, and began running back to the path they were previously on to head back to the dormitory.

"Your friend is loud." Haruka commented, closing and locking his case.

Makoto turned around to look at the other male. “Y-Yeah… But that’s Nagisa for you. He’s always been loud and energetic.”

“Nothing wrong with that.”

“Mhm…”

Without having anything else to say, Makoto felt as though there was tension growing in the air between him and Haruka. He was about to open his mouth to say something along the lines of a farewell, but Haruka spoke up before he had the chance to form a proper sentence.

“You wouldn’t happen to be heading back to the dorms, would you?” He asked, walking up to Makoto’s side.

He looked down at him and blinked a few extra times before nodding. “I was, actually. But… Nagisa and I heard the music you were playing. So we took a detour.”

“Sorry to have been a distraction.” Haruka said softly, though his words lacked the emotion to give truth. It’s not that he wasn’t sorry, but it was their choice to listen or ignore to begin with. He begun walking ahead of Makoto to go on the path. But instead of continuing the way Nagisa walked earlier, he backtracked toward the direction he came from.

Noticing this, Makoto sprinted over to Haruka and tapped his shoulder to grab his attention. “I thought you were going back to the dorms?” He said, voice filled with uncertainty due to his assumption.

“I am. This path leads back to the main road.”

“If you continue on the path in the other direction, you’ll make it to the back of the building and there’s an entrance there. Students use it all the time.”

Haruka stood silent for a second before mumbling a ‘thanks’ and turning around to walk in the other direction. Makoto made a soft amused sound to himself and trailed by his side.

“So… You’re a model, a musician, and a student I assume.” He said with hopes of starting a conversation.

In return, he earned a nod.

“Do you play any other instruments? Or have any other hobbies?”

“My voice. I draw and swim.” Haruka responded simply. After the words escaped, he felt as though the plain answers made it seem like he didn’t want to talk. On the contrary, he was curious about holding a conversation with the taller male.

Makoto didn’t seem to mind. “It seems like we have some things in common then.” He smiled.

“Do you have any other hobbies yourself?”

“Well, going based off of what you said; I sing, draw, and swim. But beside those, I play guitar and volunteer.”

x X x

Considering they were walking on a shortcut path, the walk seemed much longer than it should have taken. Perhaps it was because they were lost in conversation. Whatever was the cause, neither of them had no worries about time. During the walk, they found out much more about each other than they thought they would. Interests, favorite subjects, what school they graduated from. They even found out that their teams went against each other in a relay match in high school.

Their conversation felt so natural and instead of being two strangers who just barely met days before, it seemed as though they knew each other for years.

Makoto opened the door to the building for the dorm rooms and Haruka walked in with the other following suit. They walked to the center of the main hall and glanced over at each other.

“I go this way.” Haruka said as he pointed to the hallway to the right.

“Ah, I go the other way.” Makoto said for lack of a better response.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Right! See you then. Um, it was great walking with you, Haruka.”

“Haru.”

“...What?”

“Call me Haru. See you.”

Without another word, Haruka turned around and began to walk down the hall. Makoto watched as he walk and couldn’t help but let a huge grin come across his lips. There was something about Haru that brought a wave of peace through Makoto’s being, he felt it the minute Haruka acknowledged him. He turned around and began to walk down his own hall. This was definitely something he had to talk out with Nagisa, he figured.

Meanwhile, on Haruka’s side, he was walking up the stairs to go to the third floor. He yawned and decided he was going to go straight to bed once he got to his room. After stepping on the landing for his floor, Haruka felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He furrowed his eyebrows and paused right next to the staircase.

‘ _Who could be texting me?_ ’ He thought as he reached into his pocket.

Haruka’s eyes glanced over the screen to check who was it and, at seeing the name and message, he felt his chest tighten. A sudden cold feeling ran through his veins and he couldn’t bring himself to look away from his phone until the screen black out on its own.

**_Rin Matsuoka:_ **   
_I’m in front of your school. Meet me by the gate._


	4. Back For A Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains Past-RinHaru and strongly implied Reigisa.

**_Rin Matsuoka:_ **   
_I’m in front of your school. Meet me by the gate._

Haruka stared at his phone; eyes wide and heart ramming against his chest by seeing the name of who the text was from. Questions of what on Earth Rin could possibly want from him after all this time ran through his mind and Haruka felt his finger squeeze around his phone. He didn’t move, he didn’t even breathe for a few seconds.  
  
Finally feeling the tightness in his chest to be unbearable, Haruka took a deep and slow breath to bring him back to his senses. He shoved his phone into his pocket and pushed the door open to enter the hallway where all the rooms on the floor were. The device felt as though it was burning a hole in his pocket and soon vibrated again with another message.  
  
He ignored it this time. But once he reached for the door knob of his room, his phone vibrated for a third time, causing Haruka to suck his teeth in annoyance. He knew it was Rin because it was a habit the red head never broke -- being impatient for a person’s response if any were to be given. Haruka stood in front of the door, debating between his options.  
  
On one hand, he could go inside and turn off his phone to relax for the rest of the evening.  
  
On the other hand, he could go outside and see what was so important that caused Rin to travel all the way to his university in the evening.  
  
Turning on his heels, Haru decided upon the latter and begun scolding himself for what he knew was a stupid choice. Nonetheless, he figured it was better to get it over with and face the issue rather than having the constant “what if” thoughts haunt his mind. He was swift on his feet while going down the stairs and jumped off the last step to land on the first floor before pushing the door open and making his way out of the building.  
  
Haruka adjusted the strap on his shoulder and slipped his hands to his pocket as he walked to the gates. It only took a few minutes to make it across campus and he was stepping pass the entrance gates, earning a look from the security guard at the booth. He rolled his eyes after walking past him and looked around to try to find Rin.  
  
Just when he was about to give up, not seeing Rin standing anywhere near the gate, he saw him sitting on a propped motorcycle. His hair tied back in a low ponytail and his posture hunched over a bit as he looks at his phone. Haruka approached Rin and the other automatically lifted his head to look at him.  
  
“Hey there.” Rin greeted, a grin finding its way to his face as he slid off the motorcycle.  
  
“Hey.” Haruka responded nonchalantly, slouching a bit to ease the strain on his back from his bag.  
  
“You don’t seem very excited to see me.”  
  
“You see too excited too see me. What do you want?”  
  
That was just like Haru; straight and to the point without minding over the fluff details in between. Rin sighed and ran his fingers through his bangs, shaking his head.  
  
“I was in the neighborhood to visit someone. I remembered you said you were attending this university so I decided to drop by and say hi. Is that so bad?”  
  
Haruka wasted no time in saying “yes” immediately after. His eyes narrowed and he suddenly felt the “what if” thoughts would have been better than the ache he felt in his chest at seeing Rin.  
  
“Don’t tell me you’re still upset.” Rin said, tilting his head as he looked at Haru with suspicion.  
  
A turn of the head from the black haired male told him ‘yes’. Rin’s lips settled into a straight line for a second as he spoke carefully, avoiding any words that could set him off.  
  
“Let’s not bring up the past--”  
  
“Why? Are you still feeling guilty about being caught cheating?” Despite the vinegar in his words, Haru kept his tone as calm as he could. But looking back at Rin, he couldn’t deny that seeing him flinch brought him satisfaction.  
  
Rin rolled his eyes, “It’s over and done with. I apologized and we broke up. I moved on already, its time you do too, Haru.”  
  
“Who says I haven’t?”  
  
“That’s bullshit.” Rin snapped, this time causing Haru to flinch at how quickly and how straightforward the words were. “...Sorry. I just… You’re terrible at lying, you know that right?”  
  
Haruka narrowed his eyes at Rin again and the red head lifted his hands in defense.  
  
“Okay, okay. I’ll stop now.” He said, expression twisting with a mix of amusement and sympathy before softening into something calm. “...I really did want to see how you were holding up though.”  
  
Silence filled the air between them and Haruka felt his throat tighten up. His jaw clenched as he tried to keep his emotions concealed, mentally kicking himself for being moved by the idea of Rin actually still caring. But things were different and it was obvious his concern wasn’t the same as it used to be.  
  
“Well you see I’m doing fine--”  
  
“I see you’re just barely moving on.”  
  
“I’m fine. ...Thank you for checking up on me.”  
  
Rin peered at Haruka, examining his expression and body language as best as he could. After all, he was never really good at knowing the other inside and out. Yet he knew him well enough to tell that to some degree, he was not lying.  
  
“You’re more than welcomed to keep in touch.”  
  
“I’ll keep that in mind…”  
  
“Please do. Anyway, I gotta start going. Ai is probably waiting for me.”  
  
‘ _Ai… the one he cheated on me with..._ ’ Haruka thought, remembering the name clearly. “How is he?” He asked, sincerely curious without malice.  
  
“He’s good. Been busy with his classes lately but that’s fine.”  
  
“Good to hear.”  
  
Rin nodded. He stood still for a second before stepping closer to pull Haruka into a hug. Haru tensed up but found himself bringing his arms up to return the hug. He felt as though his heart strings were being tugged but he didn’t feel the pain that he expected to go along with it.  
  
They let each other go and Rin smiled softly at him. “See you around. Take care.”  
  
“...Yeah, take care.”  
  
With a short wave of his hand, Rin moved back to his motorcycle and swung his leg over it before sitting down. Haruka watched his every move; watching as he puts on his helmet and even as he spares him one last glance before moving to begin riding off onto the street.  
  
He sighed and turned around, wasting no time to head back to his room. His body shook slightly, his steps were quick and on edge as if he was waiting for something to happen. Returning to his spot in front of his room, he grabbed the knob and turned it before anything could change his mind again. Haruka pushed the door open and stepped inside, immediately walking over to his bed. He slipped his bag off his shoulder and dropped it beside his bed before falling onto the mattress and burying his face into his pillow.  
  
Rei, currently buttoning up his jeans, watched as his roommate walked right by him and to his bed. He could feel there was something about him and it did not feel good. He frowned a bit and walked over to the door to close it properly before approaching the bed.  
  
“...Nanase?” He questioned, leaning over a bit to check on him.  
  
A soft, muffled groan escaped from the male.  
  
“Is everything alright?”  
  
In return, he shook his head and curled up on the mattress.  
  
Rei placed a hand on Haruka’s shoulder and gave it a supportive pat. “Take it easy. I… Don’t know what happened but I can assure you that you will get over it and things will become better for you. Just get some rest, okay?”  
  
Haruka hesitated but nodded and mumbled a ‘thank you’.  
  
The younger roommate only gave another pat of the shoulder in response before walking back to his side of the room to finish getting ready. Haruka nuzzled his face against his pillow with closed eyes before listening carefully to the sound of zippers and rustling of clothes. He raises an eyebrow before turning his head to look over at Rei.  
  
“Going somewhere?” He asked. Normally he wouldn’t care what his roommate was up to. But with him going out, that would mean he would be alone in the room. The idea of that wasn’t very favorable.  
  
“Er, yeah…” Rei admitted sheepishly. “I have a date.”  
  
Haruka hummed before resting his head on his pillow again. “Enjoy your evening.” He said, actually meaning his words.  
  
“...Thank you.”  
  
Rei finished getting dressed, putting on a casual dark blue button up and zipping up his hoodie before grabbing his wallet and room key. “Goodbye, Nanase.” He said as he walked over to the door. Opening it and stepping out, he paused at the door frame and said, “Make sure to do something that will lift your mood tonight.” With that and nothing else, Rei closed and locked the door, making his way to the lobby.  
  
Haruka was left in silence in the room. He shifted around to pushes his shoes off and pulled the blankets over himself. Rei said do something that would make him happy; but at this point, he wasn’t sure what could really lift his mood.  
  
Thinking over his options, he finally pushed himself up and looked around. His eyes placed upon the sketchbook carelessly thrown upon his table and he raised an eyebrow. ‘It’s been a while since I’ve drawn something...’ Haruka thought, swinging his legs over the edge of his bed so he could get up and grab the book.  
  
Well, it’s not like he had anything better else to do, he figured.  
  
Meanwhile, Nagisa, standing in his bright pink penguin print boxers, was frantically fingering through the clothes in his closet. Makoto had made a stop to get a snack and a drink from the vending machines. So needless to say, he was shocked to see Nagisa was still in their room when he walked in.  
  
“I thought you left early to go get ready for your date.” Makoto said, pushing the door closed with his foot.  
  
“I did. But… I kind of got distracted by the smell of sweets coming from the cafe.” Nagisa explained before poking his head out from the closet. “Did you know they give out free cupcakes every friday at five? Because I sure as hell didn’t know that.”  
  
“Huh…” Was Makoto’s only response, fairly interested by the idea of getting a free chocolate cupcake some time in the future. He walked over to his side of the room and dropped his art tube and bag down in the corner. He took two steps and plopped onto his bed with his snack in hand.  
  
Nagisa stepped out of his closet, holding a pair of dark blue jeans and a light pink t-shirt with white stripes. “Think this would work?” He asked.  
  
“...You know I’m the last person you should ask about clothing advice.”  
  
“...You have a point, Mako.” Nagisa shook his head and threw the clothes onto the bed before grabbing a pink and white hoodie to match the shirt and throwing that onto the bed as well. “If I’m lucky, I might not even have to worry about keeping my clothes on for long.”  
  
“Nagsia, please.” Makoto sighed and shook his head as he opened his bag of chips.  
  
The blond laughed, “Sorry, sorry.” Though they both knew he wasn’t entirely sorry for the unwelcomed image he put in his roommate’s head.  
  
Nagisa quickly put on his clothes and went through the works to smell good and tame his wild wavy hair. The latter did not work out as well as planned, however. Feeling as though he was finished, Nagisa grabbed his necessities and headed for the door.  
  
“See you later, Mako!” He chimed before leaving the room with a bounce to his step.  
  
Makoto said a quick ‘see you’ while Nagisa was still in the room and he shook his head. He really was too energetic sometimes. But it was understandable given all the things that Nagisa had been blessed with for his struggles. A fond smile crossed Makoto’s lips; he was happy for him and even more happy that Nagisa finally found someone who wouldn’t hurt him. Too many times had he seen him cry for any cause. Seeing the smile was a welcomed change.  
  
After finishing up his snack and discarding the trash into the wastebasket under his desk, he kicked his shoes off and sat down in his bed. The room was quiet, but it was comfortable silence. He allows his upper body to fall back and rest on his bed, his legs hanging off the side of the mattress. Looking up, Makoto mentally gives himself a rundown of everything that happened during the day. But once Haruka crossed his mind, he couldn’t help but smile at the memory of just being able to talk to him comfortably.  
  
Maybe befriending him isn’t as bad of an idea as he originally thought.


End file.
